CNTF China Techfaith Wireless Communication Technology Ltd

ITEM 3. Key Information

A. Selected Financial Data

The following tables set forth our selected consolidated financial information. You should read the following information in conjunction with “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects.” The selected consolidated statement of comprehensive income (loss) data for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2016 and 2017 and the selected consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2016 and 2017 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements and should be read in conjunction with those statements, which are included in this annual report beginning on page F-1. The selected consolidated statement of comprehensive loss data for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2014 and the selected consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2013, 2014 and 2015 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements, which are not included in this annual report.

Prior to December 31, 2016, our management had been authorized to approve and commit to a plan to sell Techfaith Intelligent Handset Beijing and the real estate portfolio under its name, therefore the major current assets, other assets, current liabilities, and noncurrent liabilities relevant to the disposal are reported as components of total assets and liabilities separate from those balances of the continuing operations. At the same time, the results of all discontinued operations, less applicable income taxes (benefit), are reported as components of net income separate from the net income of continuing operations in accordance with ASC 205-20-45. As this part of our real estate business has been presented as discontinued operations, our historical financial statements are restated to present discontinued operations separately.

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Not Applicable.

C. Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds

Not Applicable.

D. Risk Factors

Risks Related to Our Business

We operate in two very different but equally challenging industries, which makes evaluating our business and prospects difficult. If we cannot successfully respond by changing our business mix, business model and products and services we sell, our business and financial results will be materially and adversely affected.

Our business model and business mix have significantly evolved since we commenced operations in July 2002 and they may continue to change as we adjust our business strategies to adapt to market trends, changes and volatility. We started as a mobile handset designer, and launched our original design product, or ODP, business in 2006 and our own brand name phone business in 2010. We once also ran a motion game devices business during 2008 and 2014. The ODP, own brand name phone and motion game devices business are consolidated and referred to as mobile phone business. To diversify our revenue sources, we entered into real estate business in 2015, and started generating lease income and disposal gain. As a result of the foregoing, our historical results of operations may not provide a meaningful basis for evaluating our business from period to period, or our financial performance and prospects in the future.

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In addition, the two different industries that we operate in are both very challenging. The mobile phone industry is characterized by rapid changes and innovations, while the real estate industry is characterized by construction and permit delays, cost overruns, with inventory, occupancy and lease uncertainty. We may not have sufficient experience to address the risks frequently encountered by companies in the same or similar industries, including our potential inability to:

If we are unsuccessful in addressing any of the above risks, our business may be materially and adversely affected.

If we cannot foresee and keep up with industry standards and design or offer new mobile handset models for sale in a timely and cost-efficient manner to meet customer demand, we may not be able to attract and retain our customers, and our business and results of operations will be materially and adversely affected.

The mobile handset market is characterized by rapidly changing end user preferences and demand for new and advanced functions and applications on mobile handsets, rapid product obsolescence, price erosion, intense competition, evolving industry standards, such as the shift to smart phones based on the Android operating system, and wide fluctuations in component supply, product volumes and end market demand. If we cannot design differentiated, high-quality and cost competitive new mobile handset models for sale in a timely and cost-efficient manner to meet our customers’ evolving demands, our business will be materially and adversely affected. We might not be able to innovate, develop and launch our mobile products or other services in time, or at all. In addition, we may fail to timely ramp up our new product deliveries due to a variety of factors, including failure to anticipate consumer trends and needs, insufficient or ineffective internal and external execution of our research and product development process, and inability to timely secure sufficient quantities of necessary components or software from suppliers or third parties. We cannot assure you that there will be sufficient customer demand for our current and newly developed mobile phones in the future. Further, we cannot assure you that we will be able to successfully meet our customers’ demand with respect to cost, quality, time to completion and required manufacturing volumes. Our failure to meet customer demand and expectations could hurt our reputation and affect our business and cost us existing customers and negatively affect our results of operations.

We have historically experienced significant challenges adapting to the rapidly evolving mobile handset market. There is no assurance that we can regain our ability to generate revenues at previous higher levels by designing new products, including ruggedized smart devices, or that our new products will enjoy popularity in the lower selling price mass markets. Additionally, we cannot ensure we would be able to maintain our competitive edge in providing tailored solutions for the enterprise segment. It is also unknown whether the broader market both in domestic China and worldwide for handsets will experience a rebound in sustained and profitable growth.

We provide certain primary types of products to our customers, including smart pads, smart phones, other components, such as industrial wireless devices, as well as wireless software and applications. The market demand for each of our product types is subject to constantly changing customer demand and end user preferences.

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The mobile handset market in China is highly competitive, and we cannot assure you that we will be able to compete successfully against our competitors.

The mobile handset market in China is intensely competitive and highly fragmented. We face current and potential competition from established suppliers of wireless communications solutions to mobile device manufacturers. These competitors include original design manufacturers such as Sim Technology Group Limited, BYD Electronic Limited, Longcheer Holdings Limited and other smaller mobile phones original design manufacturers. We are also facing greater competition from the existing popular branded mobile phone companies, such as Apple, Samsung, ZTE, Huawei, Xiaomi and others. Compared with these competitors, our own brand name mobile phones may lack necessary market awareness, compelling cost advantages, or the breadth, depth and support of other company’s distribution channels. This may in turn result in lower demand levels and fewer shipments for our branded mobile phones in the future.

In addition, the whole mobile phone industry has relatively low entry barriers. Many mobile phone makers outsource the manufacturing process to EMS providers without owning its own manufacturing facilities. This largely lowers operating costs and reducing capital investments and other fixed costs for new comers to the industry. Further, as Qualcomnn and MediaTek introduced standardized chipsets, and Google released the open Android mobile operating system, these advances in technology further lowered the entry barrier for companies that are interested in developing smart phones.

If we fail to compete effectively in the mobile handset market in China and globally, we may be unable to maintain or increase our revenues and market share.

If we do not succeed in our expansions into new businesses, our future results of operations and growth prospects may be materially and adversely affected.

We enter into new businesses from time to time to generate additional revenue streams. Expansions into new businesses may present operating and marketing challenges that are different from those that we currently encounter. We may have limited or no experience and operating history in developing and operating these new businesses, offer limited or no performance history or track record of success, and can make no guarantee regarding future success. For each new business into which we enter, we may face competition from existing leading players with significantly more experience and resources in that business. If we cannot successfully address new challenges, compete effectively against existing leading players and gain experience in the new businesses we enter, we may be unable to develop a sufficiently large customer and user base, recover the costs incurred for development and marketing activities, and eventually achieve profitability from these businesses, and our future results of operations and growth prospects may be materially and adversely affected.

If we are unable to successfully manage our real estate projects, including aspects such as construction, occupancy rates and permits, rental management and capital expenditures, we will not be able to execute our current business plan and our results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

We began constructing our first technological park, i.e., buildings and facilities intended for research and development, as well as manufacturing purposes, in Hangzhou, China in 2008. Since then, we expanded our number of construction projects to include similar technological parks in Beijing, China, in 2012, which were sold in 2017, and in Shenyang, China, in 2013. We plan to further expand our presence in the above and other cities as suitable opportunities arise. In addition, we expect to develop real estate projects in other cities, which we expect will impose significant demands on our management and other operational resources. Each of these cities has its own unique market conditions, business requirements and local regulations related to the local real estate industry. If we are unable to successfully develop, secure required permits and rent out buildings and facilities in these cities, our future growth may be limited and we may not generate adequate returns to cover our investments in these new cities, and our results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

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We have incurred and will continue to incur significant capital expenditures in connection with the construction of buildings and facilities, which may not prove to be a valuable investment and may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and may limit our ability to pursue other growth opportunities.

We have been constructing buildings and facilities in major cities in China, and expect to lease or potentially sell certain portions of our constructed buildings and facilities to generate revenues. In 2015, 2016 and 2017, in connection with our construction projects, we incurred a total capital expenditure of US$147.8 million, US$6.1 million and US$40.4 million, respectively. We expect to continue to incur additional capital expenditures of US$19.9 million from 2018 to 2020 in relation to our ongoing construction projects.

Our construction projects currently in progress continues to present development, financial and management risks, as this is a business area outside of our traditional business segments, and we are still gaining experience in the area. The construction projects are time-consuming and complex, and require significant capital investment and divert our management’s attention and efforts from our existing core business. We may also lack experienced employees in the development and management of such projects and the completed properties. If we are unable to complete the projects as planned and within our budget or if we fail to manage the constructed buildings and facilities to derive the expected economic benefits—such as finding the appropriate creditworthy tenants or suitable buyers for the facilities and negotiating commercial terms that are favorable to us—the costs and capital investments incurred in connection with such projects may not be recoverable, which may materially and adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition and growth prospects.

We rely on third party contractors for construction and renovations related to our real estate projects.

Substantially all of our construction projects and related renovation works are outsourced to third party contractors. The performance of our contractors may not meet our level of standards or specifications. Negligence, delay or undesirable work quality by contractors may result in defects in our buildings, which could in turn cause us to suffer financial losses, harm our reputation or expose us to third party claims. If the performance of any third party contractor is not satisfactory or is delayed, we may need to replace such contractor or take other actions to remedy the situation, which could adversely affect the cost and construction progress of our projects and cause delays in the completion of our property development projects. Although our construction and other contracts contain provisions designed to protect us, we may be unable to successfully enforce these provisions and, even if we are able to successfully enforce these provisions, the third party contractors may not have sufficient financial resources to compensate us for the losses we suffer as a result of their unsatisfactory or delayed performance.

We may be unable to complete our construction projects on time or at all.

The progress and costs for a construction project, such as the buildings and facilities we are constructing in Hangzhou and Shenyang, can be adversely affected by many factors, including, without limitation:

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Should any of the foregoing occur, we may not be able to achieve the expected economic benefits or realize the commercial viability of our construction projects, which may materially and adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition and growth prospects.

We may be subject to potential environmental liability.

We are subject to a variety of laws and regulations concerning the protection of public health and the environment, particularly in relation to the buildings and facilities we are constructing. The particular environmental laws and regulations that apply to any given development site vary significantly according to the site’s location, environmental condition and present and former uses as well as the nature of the adjoining properties. Environmental laws and conditions may result in delays, may cause us to incur substantial compliance and other costs and can prohibit or severely restrict project development activity in environmentally sensitive regions or areas. Although past routine environmental inspections conducted by local environmental authorities on our existing project sites have not revealed any environmental liability that we believe would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations to date, it is possible that these inspections did not reveal all environmental liabilities and that there are material environmental liabilities of which we are unaware. We cannot assure you that future environmental inspections will not reveal material environmental liability for us. Also, we cannot assure you that the PRC government will not change existing environmental laws and regulations or impose additional or stricter laws or regulations, the compliance with which could cause us to incur significant capital expenditures and materially and adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition and growth prospects.

We may fail to obtain or maintain, or may experience material delays in obtaining, necessary government approvals for major property developments, which would adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The real estate industry is strictly regulated by the PRC government. Property developers in China must comply with various laws and regulations as well as all implementation rules promulgated by local governments to enforce these laws and regulations. Before commencing, and during the course of, the development of a property project, we need to apply for or renew various licenses, permits, certificates and approvals, including but not limited to land use rights certificates, construction site planning permits, construction work planning permits, construction permits, pre-sale permits and completion acceptance certificates. We need to satisfy various requirements to obtain these approval certificates and permits and meet specific conditions in order for the government authorities to renew relevant approval certificates and permits. To date, we have not encountered serious delays or difficulties in the process of applying for or renewing these approval certificates and permits, but we cannot guarantee that we will not encounter any such serious delays or difficulties in the future. In the event that we fail to obtain the necessary governmental approvals for any of our major property projects, or a serious delay occurs in any relevant government authority’s examination and approval progress, we may not be able to maintain our development schedule and our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

We may engage in joint ventures in relation to our real estate projects, which could result in unforeseen expenses or disruptive effects on our business.

From time to time, we have engaged and may consider engaging in joint ventures with other businesses to develop a property. Any joint venture that we pursue will be accompanied by a number of risks. For example, we may not be in a position to exercise sole decision-making authority in a joint venture and may not be able to control the quality of products produced by a joint venture. Depending on the terms of a joint venture agreement, we may require the consent of our joint venture partners for a joint venture to take certain actions, such as making distributions to its partners. A joint venture partner may encounter financial difficulties and become unable to meet obligations to fund the joint venture, which may require us to devote more resources than originally anticipated into a project. In addition, our joint venture partners and the joint venture themselves may have different interests from ours, and therefore may compete in the same market with us, in which case our interests and future developments may be materially and adversely affected.

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We may suffer a penalty or even forfeit land to the PRC government if we fail to comply with procedural requirements applicable to the terms of the relevant land use rights grant contracts.

According to relevant PRC laws and regulations, if we fail to develop a property project in compliance with the terms of the relevant land use rights grant contract, including those terms relating to the payment of land premiums, specified use of the land and the timing for the commencement and completion of property development, the PRC government may issue a warning, impose a penalty or, in severe cases, order us to forfeit the land. For example, under current PRC laws and regulations, if we fail to pay land premiums in accordance with the payment schedule set forth in a land use rights grant contract, the relevant PRC land bureau may issue a warning notice to us, impose late payment penalties or even require us to forfeit the related land to the PRC government. Even if the commencement of the land development is compliant with the land use rights grant contract, if the developed gross floor area on the land is less than one-third of the total gross floor area of the project that should have been under construction and development, or the total capital invested is less than one-fourth of the total investment of the project, the land may also be treated as idle land and be subject to penalty or forfeiture.

We cannot assure you that circumstances leading to significant delays in our development schedules or forfeiture of land will not arise in the future. If we pay a substantial penalty, we may not be able to meet pre-set investment targeted returns for a given project and our financial conditions could be adversely affected. If we forfeit land, we will not only lose the opportunity to develop the property projects on such land, but may also lose a significant portion of the investment we already made in such land, including land premium deposits and the development costs incurred, which have been significant, and our financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

Our business is sensitive to global economic conditions. A severe or prolonged downturn in the global or Chinese economy could materially and adversely affect our business and our financial condition.

Our business and operations are primarily based in China and the majority of our revenues are derived from our operations in China. We also derive an increasing percentage of revenues from our various customers in overseas markets, including the United States, the European Union and Russia, which in total constituted 19.1%, 22.4% and 26.0% of our total revenues in 2015, 2016 and 2017, respectively. Our financial results have been, and are expected to continue to be, affected by economic conditions in the global markets and in China as well as by changes in the relevant industries in China, such as economic growth rate, labor costs, international trade disputes and territorial disputes. The global financial markets experienced significant disruptions in 2008 and the United States, Europe and other economies went into recession. The recovery from the lows of 2008 and 2009 was uneven and it is facing new challenges, including the geo-political uncertainties resulting from the “Brexit”, and the slowdown of the Chinese economy from 2012 through the present. It is unclear what implications these new political developments may have on the global economy, and whether the slowdown of Chinese economy will stabilize. There is considerable uncertainty over the long-term effects of the expansionary monetary and fiscal policies that have been adopted by the central banks and financial authorities of some of the world’s leading economies, including China’s. There have been concerns over unrest in the Syria, South Sudan and Libya, which have resulted in volatility in oil and other markets, and over the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. There have also been concerns about the economic effect of tensions in the Korean peninsula, the relationship between China, Japan and the U.S.

Economic conditions in China are sensitive to global economic conditions. Any persistent slowdown in the global or Chinese economy or the recurrence of any financial disruptions may materially and adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition in a number of ways. For example, the weakness in the economy could erode consumer confidence which, in turn, could result in changes to consumer spending patterns for our products and services. If consumer demand for the products and services we offer decreases, our revenues may decline. Furthermore, financial turmoil affecting the financial markets and the banking could significantly restrict our ability to obtain financing in the capital markets or from financial institutions on commercially reasonable terms, or at all.

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If our customers in mobile phone business fail to achieve success in their business, our business and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

If any of our major customers is unsuccessful in its mobile handset sales, whether due to lack of market acceptance of its products, shortage of component supplies, slowdown of replacement sales of mobile handsets or otherwise, the customer may downsize or discontinue its mobile handset business, which in turn could adversely affect our mobile phone business. Accordingly, our success depends on our customers’ success in their business. Our largest customer in 2015, 2016 and 2017 contributed approximately 15.7%, 23.9% and 32.7% of our net revenues, respectively, and our largest three customers in 2015, 2016 and 2017 contributed approximately 29.4%, 53.6% and 75.9% of our net revenues, respectively. We are not certain whether our customers will be able to achieve success in their business or how long they will remain competitive in their business even if they are initially successful. If any of our customers experiences financial difficulty or is otherwise unable to achieve success in its own business, our business and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

We are exposed to significant credit risk in relation to our customers.

Credit risk in relation to our customers may arise from events or circumstances beyond our control. For instance, an economic downturn may cause our customers to default under their ODP product contracts with us and expose us to the risk that our customers may refuse to buy from us the number of mobile handsets specified in their purchase orders or may not be able to pay us timely or at all in accordance with the sales contracts. Even if we may sometimes be able to retain as penalties the partial prepayments or deposits received from such defaulting customers, this might not be sufficient to offset the resulting loss of profits and the increased cost of unsold inventory. If our customers default in paying us, we would have to make provisions for doubtful debts or incur bad debt write-offs and our business would be materially and adversely affected.

We are dependent on our suppliers and EMS providers for timely manufacturing and delivery of our mobile phone products that meet quality and other standards set by us or our customers.

We rely on our suppliers for procuring the raw materials and components required for the manufacturing of the mobile handsets that we sell to our customers. As we do not have our own manufacturing facilities, we rely on EMS providers for the assembly and manufacture of these products. If these suppliers or EMS providers fail to deliver their goods or services to us in a timely manner and fail to meet our quality and other standards, our ability to deliver the finished products to our customers on a timely basis will be affected. If we fail to maintain our relationships with existing suppliers or EMS providers or fail to find new suppliers or EMS providers on competitive terms, this could affect our ability to obtain sufficient manufacturing capacity and in turn could significantly delay our ability to ship our products and damage our customer relationships, resulting in a material and adverse impact on our business operations and financial results.

A supplier may fail to meet our requirements, such as, most notably, the product quality, safety, security and other standards set by us or our customers. Consequently, some of our products may be unacceptable to us and our customers. In case of issues affecting a product’s safety or regulatory compliance, we may be subjected to damages due to product liability, or defective products, components or services may need to be replaced or recalled.

Our strategy to acquire or invest in complementary businesses and assets to establish strategic alliances involves significant risk and uncertainties that may prevent us from achieving our objectives and harm our financial condition and results of operations.

As part of our plan to expand our product and service offerings, we have made and intend to continue making strategic acquisitions or investments in complementary businesses in China. Our strategic acquisitions and investments could subject us to uncertainties and risks, including:

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Our failure to address these uncertainties and risks may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, we may establish strategic alliances with various third parties to further our business purpose from time to time. Strategic alliances with third parties could subject us to a number of risks, including risks associated with sharing proprietary information, non-performance by counter-parties, and an increase in expenses incurred in establishing new strategic alliances, any of which may materially and adversely affect our business.

Inability to obtain additional financing on commercially reasonable terms in the future may materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

We believe our current cash and cash equivalents, together with our anticipated cash from continuing operations and discontinued operations, which includes the expected sale of real estate in the real estate business segment, and the financing commitment from banks, will be sufficient to meet our anticipated working capital requirements and capital expenditures for the next 12 months. We may, however, need to further extend our lines of credit and depend on the cash inflows from our real estate portfolio to continue our operation, and we may require additional cash resources due to changed business conditions or other future developments, including any changes in our accounts payable policy, marketing initiatives or investments we may decide to pursue. Our current credit arrangement with banks may not be available on commercially reasonable terms after its current term, and additional financing may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. If these resources are insufficient to satisfy our cash requirements, we may seek to sell additional equity or debt securities. To the extent that we raise additional financing by issuing equity securities or convertible debt securities, our shareholders may experience substantial dilution, and to the extent we engage in debt financing, we may become subject to restrictive covenants that could limit our flexibility in conducting future business activities. Financial institutions may request credit enhancement such as third-party guarantee and pledge of equity interest in order to extend loans to us.

Our ability to obtain additional financing on acceptable terms is subject to a variety of uncertainties, including:

We are subject to potential customers’ claims for refunds and liquidated damages.

Our agreements with many customers contain refund and liquidated damage provisions, which entitle the customers to demand refunds and liquidated damages if we cannot complete a mobile handset design by a specified deadline, if the requisite certifications cannot be obtained, or if we cannot timely deliver our smart phones or feature phone products to our customers. We cannot assure you that we will be able to successfully perform under every customer contract, or that costs associated with refunds and liquidated damages will not be material. Under the realigned business of providing turn-key solutions to our smart phone customers, we will outsource the assembly of final handset products to third-party companies. Any failure of such assembly companies in timely delivering to us the finished products with the stipulated quality will cause us to be liable to our customers.

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Defects in our mobile handset designs could result in loss of customers and claims against us.

Our mobile handset designs are complex and must meet stringent quality and performance requirements. Complex mobile handset designs sometimes contain defects, errors and bugs when they are first introduced due to interoperability issues between components, software design or other unanticipated issues. If any of our designs have reliability, quality or compatibility problems, we may not be able to correct these problems on a timely basis and with the support of our software and hardware vendors. Consequently, our reputation may be damaged, and customers may be reluctant to continue their contracts with us, which could harm our ability to retain existing customers and attract new customers. Because we cannot test all possible scenarios, our product designs may contain errors that are not discovered until mobile handsets have gone into mass production. These problems may result in a loss of our customers, as well as claims against us. We face such risk not only in the case of the customers for our handset design services, but also in the case of the customers for our product sales. As product sales constitute a significant portion of our revenues, any design defects in the mobile handsets that we sell to such customers may subject us to liability. We cannot assure you that we will not be subject to claims by our customers in the future, and if we fail on the merits of these claims, our business and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

We must provide statutory warranties related to the quality of properties, which are subject to claims.

Under PRC law, all property developers in the PRC must provide certain statutory warranties that guarantee the quality of the properties they construct or sell. As a consequence, we are required to provide statutory warranties guaranteeing quality to our customers who lease or purchase the buildings and facilities we construct. Generally, we receive quality warranties from our third party contractors with respect to our property projects, and intend to seek reimbursement from the relevant third party contractors if any customer claims arise relating to any of our real estate projects.

If a significant number of claims were brought against us under our quality warranties by our customers and if we were unable to obtain reimbursement for such claims from the relevant third party contractors in a timely manner or at all, or if our third party contractors do not pay us sufficient amounts to cover our payment obligations under the quality warranties we offer to our customers, we could incur significant expenses to resolve outstanding payment obligations to our customers under quality-related claims brought against us. In addition, we could face delays in remedying the defects for which our customers bring claims against us. Any of the foregoing could harm our reputation and materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our business depends substantially on the continued use of certain intellectual property rights, and any termination of or infringement upon such rights may harm our business and competitive position.

Our business depends substantially on the use of certain intellectual property rights. For example, we are dependent on QUALCOMM and MediaTek related technology we use in designing, manufacturing and selling mobile handsets. Suspension or termination of our license agreements by QUALCOMM or MediaTek could adversely affect our business and prospects, because we may not be able to obtain alternative licenses in a timely manner to meet our customers’ demands.

We rely on a combination of patents, trademarks, trade secret laws and copyrights, as well as nondisclosure agreements and other methods to protect our intellectual property rights. Implementation of PRC intellectual property-related laws has historically been lacking, primarily because of ambiguities in the PRC laws and difficulties in enforcement. Accordingly, intellectual property rights and confidentiality protections in China may not be as effective as in the United States or other countries. Policing unauthorized use of proprietary technology is difficult and expensive, and the steps we have taken to protect our intellectual property may be inadequate to prevent the misappropriation of our proprietary technology. Reverse engineering, unauthorized copying or other misappropriation of our proprietary technologies could enable third parties to benefit from our technologies without paying us, which could harm our business and competitive position. In 2012, we filed suit against Samsung Telecommunications (Tianjin) Ltd. for patent infringement in China in relation to Samsung’s GT-B7732 model mobile phone. We decided to withdraw the lawsuit in 2014, as the process was time-consuming, costly and uncertain. Similar instances of patent infringement might result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention. See “— Risks Related to Doing Business in China — Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system could adversely affect us.”

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We may face intellectual property infringement and other claims that could be time-consuming and costly to defend and result in our loss of significant rights.

Other parties may assert intellectual property infringement and other claims against us. For example, there is no assurance that software applications and content posted on our websites do not or will not be deemed to infringe upon patents, valid copyrights or other intellectual property rights held by third parties. Litigation is expensive and time-consuming and could divert management’s attention from our business. If there is a successful claim of infringement, we may be required to pay substantial damages to the party claiming infringement, develop alternate non-infringing technology or enter into royalty or license agreements that may not be available on acceptable terms, if at all. Our failure to develop non-infringing technologies or license the proprietary rights on a timely basis would harm our business. Parties asserting infringement claims may be able to obtain an injunction, which could prevent us from providing our services or using technology that contains the allegedly infringing intellectual property. While currently we do not have any on-going infringement claims against us, we have in the past been, and may in the future be, subject to claims by other parties alleging infringements of their intellectual property rights by our products. To resolve such claims, we may be required to pay licensing fees to third parties, which could adversely affect our financial condition. Any such claims against us could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results or financial condition.

Our business depends substantially on the continuing efforts of our senior executives, and our business may be severely disrupted if we lose their services.

Our future success depends heavily upon the continued services of our senior executives, especially our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mr. Deyou Dong. We rely on the experience of our senior executives in mobile handset design and our manufacturing, business operations, sales and marketing and also depend on their relationships with our customers and suppliers. We do not maintain key-man life insurance for any of our key executives. If one or more of our key executives are unable or unwilling to continue in their present positions, we may not be able to replace them easily or at all. Therefore, our business may be severely disrupted, and we may incur additional expenses to recruit and retain new officers.

Several executives of our company, including Mr. Deyou Dong, have been involved in litigation, arbitration and administrative proceedings in the past. Although we are not aware of any pending claims against our executives as of the date of this annual report, any future litigation or administrative proceedings involving any of our key executives may result in diversion of management attention away from our business, or damage to our reputation. In addition, if any of our executives joins a competitor or forms a competing company, we may lose our customers. If any disputes arise between our executive officers and us, we cannot assure you the extent to which our rights could be enforced in China, where these executive officers reside and hold most of their assets, in light of the uncertainties with PRC legal system. See “— Risks Related to Doing Business in China — Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system could adversely affect us.”

If we are unable to attract, train and retain qualified personnel, our business may be materially and adversely affected.

Our future success depends, to a significant extent, on our ability to attract, train and retain qualified personnel, particularly technical personnel with technological expertise in major areas of mobile handset design, development and production that integrate many different functions and features in common or differentiated hardware and software architectures. Since our industry is characterized by high demand and intense competition for talent, there can be no assurance that we will be able to attract or retain qualified technical staff or other highly-skilled employees that we will need to achieve our strategic objectives. Our ability to train and integrate new employees into our operations may not meet the changing demands of our business. If we are unable to attract, train, and retain qualified personnel, our business may be materially and adversely affected.

We may incur losses due to business interruptions resulting from the occurrence of adverse public events such as outbreak of epidemics, acts of terrorism, fires and natural catastrophes such as earthquakes.

Any prolonged occurrence of an epidemic, including influenza A, such as H7N9, avian flu, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) or other adverse public health developments in China may lead to, among other events, quarantines or closures of our offices, which could severely disrupt our operations or result in the sickness or death of our key officers and employees, and a general slowdown in the Chinese economy. Any of the foregoing events or other unforeseen consequences of public health problems could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

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In addition, acts of terrorism, fires or natural disasters such as earthquakes that affect where our principal offices are located or other locations where we have substantial business operations, may lead to significant loss of revenue by disrupting our business operations and may also materially and adversely affect our business. For example, the 9.0 magnitude earthquake that took place in Japan in March 2011 disrupted the supply of various components, which affected our production schedule for several products. The unstable situation in the Middle East and Thailand have also affected our business in several ways, resulting in reductions of orders from customers and the increase of shipment costs to and from these regions. Also, territorial disputes between China and Japan may also affect our business by reducing orders from Japan and in other ways.

If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud.

We are subject to reporting obligations under the U.S. securities laws. The Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, as required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, adopted rules requiring every public company to include a management report on the effectiveness of such company’s internal control over financial reporting in its annual report. Our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2017, as reported under criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission, or COSO. However, as a non-accelerated filer, we are not required to provide an attestation on the effectiveness of our internal control by our independent registered public accounting firm under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act or the requirements of the SEC promulgated thereunder. We cannot assure you that we will be able to maintain the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting on a continuing basis in the future, or that our management’s assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control is accurate or will not be challenged. As effective internal control over financial reporting is necessary for us to produce reliable financial reports and is important to help prevent or detect fraud, any failure to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting could harm our business and result in a loss of investor confidence in the reliability of our financial statements, which in turn could negatively impact the trading price of our ADSs. Furthermore, we may need to incur additional costs and use additional management and other resources in an effort to comply with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and other requirements going forward.

We have limited insurance coverage and may incur losses resulting from product liability, product recalls or business interruptions.

Our sales agreements with customers require us to recall products that we, a regulatory body or any of our customers determine as failing to meet pre-determined specifications, standards, laws, regulations or containing substantial defects or substantial product hazards which could cause damage. These events may be considered a breach of our purchase agreement warranty to our customers and we may be required to bear all costs related to the resulting product recalls.

As we continue to sell completed feature phones and smart phones to our customers, we are exposed to potential product liability claims in the event that the use of our products causes or is alleged to have caused personal injuries or other adverse effects. A successful product liability claim against us could require us to pay substantial damages. Product liability claims against us, whether successful or not, are costly and time-consuming to defend. Also, although we have not been found to produce defective products in the past, in the event that our products prove to be defective, we may be required to recall or redesign such products, which could result in substantial costs, diversion of management attention and resources and damage to our reputation. However, as the insurance industry in China is still in a relatively early stage of development, product liability insurance available in China offers limited coverage compared to coverage offered in many other countries. We currently do not have any product liability insurance. A product liability claim, with or without merit, could result in significant adverse publicity against us and could negatively impact the marketability of our products and our reputation, which in turn could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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We also may not have the appropriate insurance to cover potential losses and claims in relation to our real estate projects. Although we require our contractors to carry insurance, it is difficult to enforce this requirement in practice and we believe a significant number of our contractors may not comply with this requirement. Our contractors may not be sufficiently insured themselves or have the financial ability to absorb any losses that arise with respect to our projects or pay our claims. In addition, there are certain types of losses, such as losses due to earthquakes, which are currently uninsurable in China. While we believe that our practice is in line with the general practice in the PRC property development industry, there may be instances when we will have to internalize losses, damages and liabilities because of the lack of insurance coverage, which may in turn materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, we do not have any business interruption insurance coverage for our operations. Any business disruption or natural disaster could result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and materially and adversely affect our business.

Risks Related To Doing Business in China

Adverse changes in political and economic policies of the PRC government could have a material adverse effect on the overall economic growth of China, which could reduce the demand for our products and services and materially and adversely affect our competitive position.

Our business operations are primarily conducted in China and we believe that a significant portion of the mobile handsets we design are sold to end users in China. Accordingly, our results of operations, financial condition and prospects may be influenced to a significant degree to the economic, political and legal developments of China, and by continued economic growth in China as a whole.

The Chinese economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the level of government involvement, level of development, growth rate, and control of foreign exchange and allocation of resources. Although the Chinese government has implemented measures since the late 1970s emphasizing the utilization of market forces for economic reform, the reduction of state ownership of productive assets, and the establishment of improved corporate governance in business enterprises, a substantial portion of productive assets in China are still owned by the Chinese government. In addition, the Chinese government continues to play a significant role in regulating industrial development through its industrial policies. The Chinese government also exercises significant control over the Chinese economic growth through allocating resources, controlling payment of foreign currency-denominated obligations, setting monetary policy, and providing preferential treatment to particular industries or companies.

While the Chinese economy has experienced significant growth in recent decades, growth has been uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy. The Chinese government has implemented various measures to encourage economic growth and to guide the allocation of resources. Some of these measures benefit the overall Chinese economy, but may also have a negative effect on us. The Chinese government has implemented certain measures in the past, including interest rate increases, to control the pace of economic growth. These measures may cause decreased economic activity in China and, since 2012, Chinese economic growth has slowed. Any prolonged slowdown in the Chinese economy may reduce the demand for our products and services and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our business benefits from certain tax incentives, and changes to these tax incentives could adversely affect our operating results.

Our income tax is primarily governed by the Enterprise Income Tax Law, or the EIT Law, which was adopted by the National People’s Congress of China on March 16, 2007 and amended on February 24, 2017. The EIT Law applies a uniform 25% enterprise income tax rate to both foreign invested enterprises and domestic enterprises. Under the EIT Law, an enterprise which qualifies as a “high and new technology enterprise” (“HNTE”) is entitled to a tax rate of 15%. A HNTE status obtained under the EIT Law is valid for three years, after which qualifying entities can apply to renew their HNTE status for an additional three years, provided their business operations continue to qualify for HNTE status. Techfaith China renewed its HNTE status under the EIT Law in 2017, and its current HNTE status is now scheduled to expire in October 2020. Techfaith Shanghai, a qualified manufacturing foreign investment enterprise located in Shanghai Pudong according to the old enterprise income tax law prior to January 1, 2008, most recently renewed its HNTE status in 2017 under the EIT Law, which will expire in November 2020. One Net renewed its HNTE status in December 2013 under the EIT Law, which expired in December 2016. We plan to apply for the renewal of HNTE status for each of our qualifying entities before the respective expiry dates. We believe it is likely that our qualifying entities will continue to obtain the renewal in the future but we cannot guarantee this outcome. Accordingly, Techfaith China and Techfaith Shanghai have used the reduced applicable tax rate in calculating deferred tax balances for the foreseeable future.

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There is no assurance that our subsidiaries in China will continue to receive any other preferential income tax treatment. If any of these incentives are reduced or eliminated by government authorities in the future, the effective tax rates of our subsidiaries in China and our effective tax rates on a consolidated basis could increase significantly. Any such change could adversely affect our operating results. See “Item 4. Information on the Company — B. Business Overview — Regulation — Tax.”

Our subsidiaries in China are subject to restrictions on dividend payments, or making other payments to us or any other affiliated company.

We are a holding company incorporated in the Cayman Islands. We conduct substantially all of our operations through our subsidiaries in China. Current PRC regulations permit our subsidiaries in China to pay dividends only out of their respective accumulated profits, if any, determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. In addition, our subsidiaries in China are each required to set aside at least 10% of their respective after tax profits each year, if any, to fund certain reserve funds until the cumulative amount of such reserves reaches 50% of its registered capital. These reserves are not distributable as cash dividends. In addition, if any of our subsidiaries in China incurs debt on its own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict the subsidiary’s ability to pay dividends or make other payments to us.

We may be treated as a resident enterprise for PRC tax purposes under the EIT Law, which may subject us to PRC income tax for our income originated both within and outside the PRC and PRC income tax withholding for any dividends we pay to our non-PRC shareholders.

Under the EIT Law and relevant implementing rules, enterprises established under the laws of non-PRC jurisdictions, but whose de facto management body is located in the PRC, may be treated as “resident enterprises” for PRC tax purposes and is generally subject to a uniform 25% enterprise income tax rate on its worldwide income. The implementing rules of the EIT Law define de facto management as having substantial and overall management and control over the production and operations, personnel, accounting, and properties of the enterprise. The guidance currently available for the definition of “de facto management body” as well as the determination of offshore incorporated PRC tax resident is set forth in a notice and a bulletin issued by the PRC State Administration of Taxation, or SAT, in 2009 and 2011, respectively. The notice and the bulletin apply to a Chinese-controlled offshore incorporated enterprise, which is incorporated under the law of a foreign country or territory and that has a PRC company or PRC corporate group as its primary controlling shareholder. See “Item 4. Information on the Company — B. Business Overview — Regulation — Tax.” Based on our analysis of the current facts, we believe that our company and our overseas subsidiaries should not be treated as resident enterprises for PRC tax purposes. However, it continues to be unclear as to how tax authorities will determine tax residency based on the facts of each case. For the years ended December 31, 2015, 2016 and 2017, our calculation of income taxes generally reflects our status as a non-China tax resident company. If the PRC governmental authorities hold that our company or our overseas subsidiaries should be treated as a “resident enterprise” for PRC tax purposes after January 1, 2008, the effective date of the EIT Law, our worldwide income will be subject to PRC income tax at the 25% uniform tax rate, but will exclude any dividend income we receive from our domestic subsidiaries, which are exempted taxable income under the EIT Law. If we and our overseas subsidiaries are treated as “resident enterprises” and are required to pay income tax for dividends paid to our offshore subsidiaries which are not treated as “resident enterprises,” it will materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

With the 10% PRC dividend withholding tax imposed by the EIT Law in 2008, we will incur an incremental PRC tax cost when PRC profits are distributed to ultimate shareholders. In addition, if we are determined to be a PRC resident enterprise under the new PRC tax system and receive income other than dividends, our profitability and cash flow would be adversely impacted due to our worldwide income being taxed in China under the new PRC tax law.

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Under the EIT Law and its implementation rules, dividends payable by a foreign-invested enterprise in China to its foreign investors who are nonresident enterprises are subject to a 10% withholding tax, unless any such foreign investor’s jurisdiction of incorporation has a tax treaty or similar arrangement with China that provides for a different withholding arrangement.

Moreover, under the EIT Law, foreign ADS holders may be subject to a 10% withholding tax upon dividends payable by us and gains realized on the sale or other disposition of ADSs or ordinary shares, if such income is sourced from within the PRC. Although our company is incorporated in the Cayman Islands, it remains unclear whether the dividends payable by us or the gains our foreign ADS holders may realize will be regarded as income from sources within the PRC if we are classified as a PRC resident enterprise. Any such tax on our dividend payments will reduce any returns on your investment.

Fluctuation in the value of the Renminbi may have a material adverse effect on your investment.

A significant portion of our revenue, operating costs and capital expenditures are denominated in Renminbi. We do not believe that we currently have any significant direct foreign exchange risk and have not used any derivative financial instruments to hedge exposure to such risk. Although in general our exposure to foreign exchange risks should be limited, the value of your investment in our ADSs will be affected by the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Renminbi because the value of our business is effectively denominated in Renminbi, while our ADSs will be traded in U.S. dollars.

The value of the RMB against the U.S. dollar and other currencies is affected by changes in China’s political and economic conditions and by China’s foreign exchange policies, among other things. In July 2005, the PRC government changed its decades-old policy of pegging the value of the RMB to the U.S. dollar, and the RMB appreciated more than 20% against the U.S. dollar over the following three years. Between July 2008 and June 2010, this appreciation halted and the exchange rate between the RMB and the U.S. dollar remained within a narrow band. Since June 2010, the RMB has fluctuated against the U.S. dollar, at times significantly and unpredictably. It is difficult to predict how market forces or PRC or U.S. government policy may impact the exchange rate between the RMB and the U.S. dollar in the future.

There remains significant international pressure on the Chinese government to adopt a substantial liberalization of its currency policy, which could result in further appreciation or depreciation in the value of the RMB against the U.S. dollar. To the extent that we need to convert U.S. dollars into RMB for capital expenditures and working capital and other business purposes, appreciation of the RMB against the U.S. dollar would have an adverse effect on the RMB amount we would receive from the conversion. Conversely, if we decide to convert RMB into U.S. dollars for the purpose of making payments for dividends on our ordinary shares or ADSs, strategic acquisitions or investments or other business purposes, depreciation of the RMB against the U.S. dollar would have a negative effect on the U.S. dollar amount available to us.

Restrictions on currency exchange may limit our ability to receive and use our revenues effectively.

The principal regulation governing foreign currency exchange in China is the Foreign Currency Administration Rules, as amended. Under these rules, RMB are freely convertible for trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions, but not for direct investments, loans or investments in securities outside China unless the prior approval of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or SAFE, is obtained. Although the PRC government regulations now allow greater convertibility of RMB for current account transactions, significant restrictions still remain. For example, foreign exchange transactions under our subsidiaries’ capital account, including principal payments in respect of foreign currency-denominated obligations, remain subject to significant foreign exchange controls and the approval of SAFE.

In May 2013, SAFE promulgated SAFE Circular 21 which provides for and simplifies the operational steps and regulations on foreign exchange matters related to direct investment by foreign investors, including foreign exchange registration, account opening and use, receipt and payment of funds, and settlement and sales of foreign exchange. We generally follow the regulations and apply to obtain the approval of SAFE and other relevant PRC government authorities. However, we may not be able to obtain these government registrations or approvals on a timely basis, if at all. If we fail to receive such registrations or approvals, our ability to provide loans or capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries and our affiliated PRC entities may be negatively affected, which could adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.

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On February 13, 2015, SAFE issued the Circular on Further Simplifying and Improving the Foreign Exchange Administration Policies on Direct Investments, or SAFE Circular 13, which cancelled the administrative examination and approval procedures with SAFE or its local branches relating to the foreign exchange registration approval for domestic direct investment as well as overseas direct investments, and delegated the power to the qualified banks that directly conduct such foreign exchange registrations under the supervision of SAFE or its local branches. SAFE Circular 13 took effect on June 1, 2015.

SAFE issued regulations that require approvals from, and registrations with, PRC government authorities in connection with direct or indirect offshore investment activities by PRC residents and PRC corporate entities. The SAFE regulations retroactively require approval and registration of direct or indirect investments previously made by PRC residents in offshore companies. In the event that a PRC shareholder with a direct or indirect stake in an offshore parent company fails to obtain the required SAFE approval and make the required registration, the PRC subsidiaries of such offshore parent company may be prohibited from making distributions of profit to the offshore parent and from paying the offshore parent proceeds from any reduction in capital, share transfer or liquidation in respect of the PRC subsidiaries. Further, failure to comply with the various SAFE approval and registration requirements described above, as currently drafted, could result in liability under PRC law for foreign exchange evasion.

Because the majority of our business operations are in China, these regulations could result in the relevant PRC government authorities limiting or eliminating our ability to purchase and retain currencies other than the RMB in the future, which could limit or eliminate our ability to fund any business activities we may have outside China or to make dividend payments in U.S. dollars in the future.

The M&A Rule sets forth complex procedures for acquisitions conducted by foreign investors which could make it more difficult to pursue growth through acquisitions.

The Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, or the M&A Rule, sets forth complex procedures and requirements that could make merger and acquisition activities by foreign investors more time-consuming and complex, including requirements in some instances that the Ministry of Commerce be notified in advance of any change-of-control transaction in which a foreign investor takes control of a PRC domestic enterprise. We may expand our business in part by acquiring complementary businesses or assets in China. Complying with the requirements of the M&A Rule to complete such transactions could be time-consuming, and any required approval processes, including obtaining approval from the Ministry of Commerce, may delay or inhibit our ability to complete such transactions, which could affect our ability to expand our business or maintain our market share.

PRC regulation of direct investment and loans by offshore holding companies to PRC entities may delay or limit us from making additional capital contributions or loans to our PRC subsidiaries.

Any capital contributions or loans that we, as an offshore entity, make to our PRC subsidiaries are subject to PRC regulations. For example, none of our loans to a PRC subsidiary can exceed the difference between its total amount of investment and its registered capital approved under relevant PRC laws, and the loans must be registered with the local branch of SAFE. See “— Restrictions on currency exchange may limit our ability to receive and use our revenues effectively.” Our capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries must be approved by the Ministry of Commerce or its local counterpart. We cannot assure you that we will be able to complete the necessary registration or obtain the necessary approval on a timely basis, or at all. If we fail to complete the necessary registration or obtain the necessary approval, our ability to make loans or equity contributions to our PRC subsidiaries may be negatively affected, which could adversely affect our PRC subsidiaries’ liquidity and their ability to fund their working capital and expansion projects and meet their obligations and commitments.

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PRC regulations relating to the establishment of offshore special purpose companies by PRC residents may subject our PRC resident shareholders to personal liability and limit our ability to inject capital into our PRC subsidiaries, limit our subsidiaries’ ability to distribute profits to us, or otherwise adversely affect us.

In July 2014, SAFE promulgated the Circular on Several Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Administration of Domestic Residents Engaging in Overseas Investment, Financing and Round-Trip Investment via Special Purpose Vehicles, or Circular 37, and SAFE has further issued a series of implementation guidance. These regulations require PRC residents to register with the local SAFE branch before directly establishing or indirectly controlling any offshore company for the purpose of overseas capital financing with assets of or equity interests in PRC companies held by them. Circular 37 further requires that when there is (a) any change in the basic information of a special purpose vehicle, such as any change relating to its individual PRC resident shareholders, name or operational period or (b) any material change, such as increase or decrease in the share capital held by its individual PRC resident shareholders, a share exchange or share transfer in the special purpose vehicle, or a merger or split involving the special purpose vehicle, the PRC resident must register such changes with the local SAFE branch on a timely basis.

We have notified beneficial owners of our company who we know are PRC residents to register with the local SAFE branch if they are required to register under the SAFE notice. The failure or inability of beneficial owners of our company resident in the PRC to comply with the registration procedures set forth therein may subject such beneficial owners to fines and legal sanctions and may also limit our ability to contribute additional capital into our PRC subsidiary and our PRC subsidiary’s ability to distribute profits to our company or otherwise materially and adversely affect our business.

We may be subject to fines and legal sanctions if we or our Chinese employees fail to comply with PRC regulations relating to employee stock options granted by overseas listed companies to PRC citizens.

In February 2012, SAFE promulgated the Notice relating to Foreign Exchange Administration for Domestic Individuals Participating in Stock Incentive Plan of Overseas-Listed Company, or SAFE Notice 7, which replaced an earlier SAFE notice promulgated in 2007. Under SAFE Notice 7, PRC individuals and foreign citizens having resided in the PRC for one year or more who participate in a stock incentive plan of an overseas listed company are required, through a PRC domestic agent or PRC subsidiary of the overseas listed company, to register with SAFE or its local branches and complete certain other procedures. We and our Chinese employees who have been granted nonvested shares or stock options pursuant to our 2005 share incentive plan are subject to this notice because we are an overseas listed company. If we or our Chinese employees fail to comply with the provisions of this notice, we and/or our Chinese employees may be subject to fines and legal sanctions imposed by SAFE or other PRC government authorities.

Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system could adversely affect us.

We conduct substantially all of our business through our subsidiaries established in China. Our subsidiaries are generally subject to laws and regulations applicable to foreign investment in China and, in particular, PRC laws applicable to wholly foreign-owned enterprises and Sino-foreign joint ventures. The PRC legal system is based on written statutes. Prior court decisions may be cited for reference but have limited precedential value. Since 1979, PRC legislation and regulations have significantly enhanced the protections afforded to various forms of foreign investments in China. However, since the PRC legal system is still evolving, the interpretations of many laws, regulations and rules are not always uniform and enforcement of these laws, regulations and rules involve uncertainties. For example, in August 2011, the Ministry of Commerce, or MOFCOM, promulgated the Rules of Ministry of Commerce on Implementation of Security Review System of Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, or the MOFCOM Security Review Rules, to implement an earlier circular of the General Office of the State Council. The MOFCOM Security Review Rules came into effect on September 1, 2011. Under these circulars and rules, a MOFCOM security review is required for foreign investors’ mergers and acquisitions having “national defense and security” implications and mergers and acquisitions by which foreign investors may acquire “de facto control” of domestic enterprises having “national security” implications. In addition, when deciding whether a specific merger or acquisition of a domestic enterprise by foreign investors is subject to a security review, MOFCOM will look into the substance and actual impact of the transaction. The MOFCOM Security Review Rules further prohibit foreign investors from bypassing the security review requirement through various means, including by structuring transactions through proxies, indirect investments and control through contractual arrangements. However, as these circulars and rules are relatively new and there is a lack of clear statutory interpretation regarding the implementation of the rules, there is no assurance that the MOFCOM will have the same view as we do when applying these circulars and rules.

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In January 2015, MOFCOM published a draft of the proposed Foreign Investment Law. If the Draft Foreign Investment Law were enacted, it would replace the existing laws regulating foreign investment in China and harmonize the regulations governing both foreign invested enterprises and PRC domestic entities. However, foreign invested enterprises that operate in industries deemed to be either “restricted” or “prohibited” in a “negative list” will be subject to entry clearance and other approvals not required for PRC domestic entities unless such foreign invested enterprises can demonstrate that the ultimate controlling person(s) is/are of PRC nationality (either PRC citizen, or PRC government and its branches or agencies). Because the negative list has yet to be published, it is unclear whether it will differ from the current list of industries subject to restrictions or prohibitions on foreign investment. The entry clearance and approvals could prevent certain foreign invested enterprises that operate in industries on the negative list from continuing to conduct their operations.

From time to time, we may have to resort to administrative and court proceedings to enforce our legal rights. However, since PRC administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory and contractual terms, it may be more difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy than in more developed legal systems. Furthermore, the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules (some of which are not published in a timely manner or at all) that may have retroactive effect. As a result, we may not be aware of our violation of these policies and rules until sometime after the violation. Such uncertainties, including uncertainty over the scope and effect of our structure, property (including intellectual property) and procedural rights, and any failure to respond to changes in the regulatory environment in China could materially and adversely affect our business and impede our ability to continue our operations In addition, any litigation in China may be protracted and result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention.

The laws and regulations governing internet-related businesses in China are developing and subject to future changes. If we or any of our PRC operating subsidiaries fail to obtain or maintain all applicable permits and approvals, our business and operations may be materially and adversely affected.

All internet-related businesses in China are highly regulated by the PRC government and numerous regulatory authorities of the central PRC government are empowered to issue and implement regulations governing various aspects of the internet industry including foreign ownership of and licensing and permit requirements pertaining to companies in the internet industry. These internet-related laws and regulations are relatively new and evolving, and their interpretation and enforcement involve significant uncertainty. In addition, new laws and regulations may be adopted in the future to address new issues that arise from time to time, such as online advertising and other use of the internet in our operation. Also, different regulatory authorities may have different views regarding the licensing requirements for the operation of any internet related businesses. Our subsidiaries are required to obtain and maintain applicable licenses or approvals from different regulatory authorities in order to provide their current services, including but not limited to the ICP license. Furthermore, our subsidiaries may be required to obtain additional licenses. If any of them fails to obtain or maintain any of the required licenses or approvals, its continued business operations in the internet industry may subject it to various penalties, such as confiscation of illegal net sales, fines and the discontinuation or restriction of its operations. Any such disruption in the business operations of our affiliated PRC entities will materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. While we believe that we are in material compliance with all applicable PRC laws and regulations currently in effect, we cannot assure you that we will not be found to be in violation of any current or future PRC laws and regulations in the future.

Additional government regulations resulting from negative publicity in China regarding internet-related aspects of our business or otherwise may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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We are required by PRC regulations to expand our business scope in order to operate our real estate business. Failure to do so may subject us to fines or other legal sanctions.

In accordance with the Notice on Further Strengthening and Regulating the Examination, Approval and Supervision of Foreign Direct Investment in Real Estate Industry, or Circular No. 50, where a well-established foreign-funded enterprise intends to add some new land development or operation business, it shall extend its business scope or enlarge its business scale according to the relevant laws and regulations governing foreign investment. If we further expand our business but fail to expand our business scope accordingly or obtain relevant approvals by competent authorities, we may be subject to fines or other legal sanctions.

Labor laws in China evolve with time and implementation of new labor laws in China may adversely affect our business and results of operations.

China adopted a labor contract law, or the Labor Contract Law, which went into effect on January 1, 2008 and was amended in 2012. The Labor Contract Law imposes more stringent requirements on employers with regard to, among other things, minimum wages, and severance payments upon permitted termination of the employment by an employer and non-fixed term employment contracts, time limits for probation periods as well as the duration and the times that an employee can be placed on a fixed term employment contract. According to the Labor Contract Law, an employer is obliged to sign an unlimited-term labor contract with any employee who has worked for the employer for ten consecutive years. Further, if an employee requests or agrees to renew a fixed-term labor contract that has already been entered into twice consecutively, the resulting contract is deemed to have an unlimited term, with certain exceptions. The employer must also pay severance to an employee in nearly all instances where a labor contract, including a contract with an unlimited term, is terminated or expires. In addition, the PRC government has continued to introduce various new labor-related regulations since the implementation of the Labor Contract Law. Among other things, new annual leave requirements mandate that annual leave ranging from five to 15 days be made available to nearly all employees and further require that each employer compensates an employee for any annual leave days the employee is unable to take in the amount of three times his daily salary, subject to certain exceptions.

Under the PRC Social Insurance Law and the Administrative Measures on Housing Fund, employees are required to participate in pension insurance, work-related injury insurance, medical insurance, unemployment insurance, maternity insurance and housing funds and employers are required, together with their employees or separately, to pay the social insurance premiums and housing funds for their employees.

As a result of these and future measures that may be implemented to enhance labor protection in China, our labor costs may increase and we cannot assure you that our employment practices do not or will not violate the Labor Contract Law, the Social Insurance Law or any other existing or future labor-related regulations in China. If we are subject to severe penalties or found to incur significant liabilities in connection with labor disputes or investigations, our business and results of operations may be adversely affected.

If our independent registered public accounting firm ceases to be subject to inspections by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, or PCAOB, our investors may be deprived of the benefits of such inspections.

Our current independent registered public accounting firm that issued the audit report included in our annual report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, as auditors of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and a firm registered with the U.S. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (the “PCAOB”), is required by the laws of the United States to undergo regular inspections by the PCAOB to assess its compliance with the laws of the United States and professional standards. Because our previous auditor is located in the Peoples’ Republic of China, a jurisdiction where the PCAOB is currently unable to conduct inspections without the approval of the Chinese authorities, our previous auditor is not currently inspected by the PCAOB. While our current independent registered public accounting firm, Friedman LLP, is subject to PCAOB inspections, we cannot assure you that the firm will continue to be subject to such inspections in the future if there is a change in relevant rules and regulations.

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Inspections of other firms that the PCAOB has conducted outside China have identified deficiencies in those firms’ audit procedures and quality control procedures, which may be addressed as part of the inspection process to improve future audit quality. This lack of PCAOB inspections in China prevents the PCAOB from regularly evaluating our auditor’s audits and its quality control procedures. As a result, investors may be deprived of the benefits of PCAOB inspections.

If our current independent registered public accounting firm became not subject to PCAOB inspection in the future, it will be more difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of our auditor’s audit procedures or quality control procedures as compared to auditors that are subject to PCAOB inspections. Investors may then lose confidence in our reported financial information and procedures and the quality of our financial statements.

Risks Related to Shares and ADSs

The market price for our ADSs has been and may continue to be volatile.

The market price for our ADSs has been and may continue to be highly volatile and subject to wide fluctuations in response to factors including the following:

In addition, the stock market in general, and the market prices for companies with operations in China in particular, have experienced volatility that often has been unrelated to the operating performance of such companies. The securities of some China-based companies that have listed their securities in the United States have experienced significant volatility since their initial public offerings in recent years, including, in some cases, substantial declines in the trading prices of their securities. The trading performances of these companies’ securities after their offerings may affect the attitudes of investors towards Chinese companies listed in the United States in general, which consequently may impact the trading performance of our ADSs, regardless of our actual operating performance. In addition, any negative news or perceptions about inadequate corporate governance practices, fraudulent accounting, corporate structure, government policies or other matters concerning other Chinese companies may also negatively affect the attitudes of investors towards Chinese companies in general, including us, regardless of whether we have engaged in any inappropriate activities. Volatility or a lack of positive performance in our stock price may also adversely affect our ability to retain key employees, some of whom have been granted options or other equity incentives.

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We may need additional capital, and the sale of additional ADSs or other equity securities could result in additional dilution to our shareholders.

We believe that our current cash and cash equivalents and cash flow from continuing and discontinued operations will be sufficient to meet our anticipated cash needs for the next 12 months, including our capital commitments for the construction of property, plant and equipment. We may, however, require additional cash resources due to changed business conditions or other future developments, including any investments or acquisitions we may decide to pursue. If these resources are insufficient to satisfy our cash requirements, we may seek to sell additional equity or debt securities or obtain a credit facility. The sale of additional equity securities could result in additional dilution to our shareholders. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increased debt service obligations and could result in operating and financing covenants that would restrict our operations. We cannot assure you that financing will be available in amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all.

You may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to protect your rights through the U.S. federal courts may be limited, because we are incorporated under Cayman Islands law.

Our corporate affairs are governed by our memorandum and articles of association as amended from time to time, and by the Companies Law (2018 Revision) of the Cayman Islands and the common law of the Cayman Islands. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary duties of our directors under Cayman Islands law are not as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial precedents in the United States. In particular, the Cayman Islands has a less developed body of securities laws as compared to the United States, and provides significantly less protection to investors. Therefore, our public shareholders may have more difficulties in protecting their interests through actions against our management, directors or controlling shareholders than would public shareholders of a corporation incorporated in a jurisdiction in the United States. In addition, shareholders of Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action before the federal courts of the United States.

Your ability to bring an action against us or against our directors and officers, or to enforce a judgment against us or them, will be limited because we are incorporated in the Cayman Islands, because we conduct a substantial portion of our operations in China and because the majority of our directors and officers reside outside of the United States.

We are incorporated in the Cayman Islands, and we conduct a substantial portion of our operations in China through our wholly owned subsidiaries and variable interest entity in China. Most of our directors and officers reside outside of the United States and most of the assets of those persons are located outside of the United States. As a result, it may be difficult or impossible for you to effect service of process within the United States upon us or these individuals or to bring an action against us or against these individuals in the United States in the event that you believe that your rights have been infringed under the United States securities laws or otherwise. Even if you are successful in bringing an action of this kind, the laws of the Cayman Islands and of China may render you unable to enforce a judgment against our assets or the assets of our directors and officers.

You may not be able to exercise your right to vote.

As a holder of ADSs, you may instruct the depositary of our ADSs to vote the shares underlying your ADSs but only if we ask the depositary to ask for your instructions. Otherwise, you will not be able to exercise your right to vote unless you withdraw the shares. However, you may not know about the meeting sufficient in advance to withdraw the shares. If we ask for your instructions, the depositary will notify you of the upcoming vote and arrange to deliver our voting materials to you. We cannot assure you that you will receive the voting materials in time to ensure that you can instruct the depositary to vote your shares. In addition, the depositary and its agents are not responsible for failing to carry out voting instructions or for the manner of carrying out voting instructions. This means that you may not be able to exercise your right to vote and there may be nothing you can do if the shares underlying your ADSs are not voted as you requested.

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Your right to participate in any future rights offerings may be limited, which may cause dilution to your holdings.

We may from time to time distribute rights to our shareholders, including rights to acquire our securities. However, we cannot make rights available to you in the United States unless we register the rights and the securities to which the rights relate under the Securities Act, or an exemption from the registration requirements is available. Also, under the deposit agreement, the depositary bank will not make those rights available to you unless the distribution to ADS holders of both the rights and any related securities are either registered under the Securities Act, or exempt from registration under the Securities Act. We are under no obligation to file a registration statement with respect to any such rights or securities or to endeavor to cause such a registration statement to be declared effective. Moreover, we may not be able to establish an exemption from registration under the Securities Act. Accordingly, you may be unable to participate in our rights offerings and may experience dilution in your holdings.

You may not receive distributions on ordinary shares or any value for them if it is illegal or impractical to make them available to you.

The depositary of our ADSs has agreed to pay to you the cash dividends or other distributions it or the custodian receives on ordinary shares or other deposited securities after deducting its fees and expenses. You will receive these distributions in proportion to the number of ordinary shares your ADSs represent. However, the depositary is not responsible if it decides that it is unlawful or impractical to make a distribution available to any holders of ADSs. We have no obligation to register ADSs, ordinary shares, rights or other securities under U.S. securities laws. We also have no obligation to take any other action to permit the distribution of ADSs, ordinary shares, rights or anything else to holders of ADSs. This means that you may not receive the distribution we make on our ordinary shares or any value for them if it is illegal or impractical for us to make them available to you. These restrictions may have a material adverse effect on the value of your ADSs.

You may be subject to limitations on transfer of your ADSs.

Your ADSs are transferable on the books of the depositary. However, the depositary may close its transfer books at any time or from time to time when it deems expedient in connection with the performance of its duties. In addition, the depositary may refuse to deliver, transfer or register transfers of ADSs generally when our books or the books of the depositary are closed, or at any time if we or the depositary thinks it advisable to do so because of any requirement of law or of any government or governmental body, or under any provision of the deposit agreement, or for any other reason.

We are controlled by a small group of our existing shareholders, whose interests may differ from the interests of other shareholders.

As of March 31, 2018, our directors and executive officers as a group beneficially own 33.3% ordinary shares of our company; Mr. Deyou Dong, our chief executive officer, beneficially owns almost all of such ordinary shares and has the power to vote on behalf of the record holders of these shares over matters requiring approval by our shareholders, including electing directors and approving mergers or other business combination transactions. This concentration of ownership may discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of our company, which could deprive our shareholders of an opportunity to receive a premium for their shares as part of a sale of our company and might reduce the price of our ADSs. These actions may be taken even if they are opposed by our other shareholders.

We may be classified as a passive foreign investment company, which could result in adverse United States federal income tax consequences to U.S. Holders.

A non-U.S. corporation will be classified as a “passive foreign investment company,” (or a “PFIC”) for any taxable year if either (1) 75% or more of its gross income consists of certain types of passive income or (2) 50% or more of the average quarterly value of its assets (as generally determined on that basis of fair market value) during such year produce or are held for the production of passive income. Based on the market price of our ADSs and the composition of our income and our assets, we do not believe that we were a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes for our taxable year ended December 31, 2017 and do not anticipate becoming a PFIC in the foreseeable future. However, because the determination of whether or not we will be or become a PFIC depends on the composition of our income and our assets and the market price of our ADSs, no assurance can be given that we will not be classified as a PFIC for any taxable year. In addition, because there are uncertainties in the application of the relevant rules, it is possible that the Internal Revenue Service may challenge our classification of certain income and assets as non-passive which may result in our being or becoming a PFIC in the current or subsequent years. Moreover, as previously disclosed, although not free from doubt, we believe that we were a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes for prior taxable years. In addition, it is possible that one or more of our subsidiaries may be or become classified as a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

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If we were treated as a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. Holder (as defined in Item 10. Additional Information — E. Taxation — United States Federal Income Taxation) holds our ADSs or ordinary shares, such U.S. Holder may incur significantly increased U.S. income tax on gain recognized on the sale or other disposition of the ADSs or ordinary shares and on the receipt of distributions on the ADSs or ordinary shares to the extent such gain or distribution is treated as an “excess distribution” under the U.S. federal income tax rules. Further, a U.S. Holder will generally be treated as holding an equity interest in a PFIC in the first taxable year of the U.S. Holder’s holding period in which we become classified as a PFIC and subsequent taxable years (“PFIC-Tainted Shares”) even if, we, in fact, cease to be a PFIC in subsequent taxable years. Accordingly, a U.S. Holder of our ADSs or ordinary shares is urged to consult its tax advisor concerning the U.S. federal income tax considerations related to holding and disposing of ADSs or ordinary shares (including, to the extent an election is available, making a “mark-to-market” election to avoid owning PFIC-Tainted Shares and the unavailability of an election to treat us as a qualified electing fund). See “Item 10. Additional Information — E. Taxation — United States Federal Income Taxation — Passive Foreign Investment Company.”